§ Mr. Gordon Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for Energy what royalties have been paid by the Central Electricity Generating Board to the AEA for use of designs for AGR power station technology in response to the agreement listed in paragraph 8 of appendix 3 of the Select Committee Report on Science and Technology, Session 1966–67 ; if he will list the power stations affected and the royalties applicable to each ; and what revision of the level of royalties per unit produced has taken place before or since the review date of 1974 or the relevant commissionary dates.
§ Mr. Eadie:None. The agreement made in 1967 provided for a rate of royalty to be paid on AGRs commissioned before 1st January 1975, and for a rate for AGR's commissioned subse- 480W quently to be negotiated in 1974. In the event progress with the first AGR programme was much slower than had been expected. None of the reactors was commissioned by 1st January 1975, and, because of uncertainties at the time, no new rate was negotiated in 1974. However, substantial progress has now been made towards the completion of the programme and my Department is considering the question of royalties further.